Shatter
by Faust22
Summary: DouxWata Work in progress. M for future chapters. When Watanuki finds himself almost dead at the hands of a powerful spirit, Yuko-san feels it is time to grant his wish. However, his wish can only be granted in a way that will tie him to Domeki forever.
1. The Spirit

Watanuki Kimihiro felt the spirit behind him long before he saw it. It was hot, damp summer day, and he was walking Yuko-san's shop from school. Alone, this time, because Himawari-chan had a class rep meeting, and Domeki had archery practice. Not that he wanted that creep Domeki walking with him anyway.

The temperature of the air around Watanuki cooled, raising gooseflesh on his arms. He felt a strong presence at his lower back, like an icy had was holding him there. He could see small tendrils of spiritual energy swirling around his feet as he walked, dark purple in the bright sunlight.

"_Almost there,_" he whispered to himself. Watanuki could see the crescent moons that stood upon Yuko-san's fence two blocks ahead. Safety. As soon as he touched that gate, the spirit would have no power over him.

Yuko-san had told him that if he was ever to encounter a strong spirit without Domeki around, he should simply walk calmly and pretend that nothing was there. But as Watanuki neared the store, a growing urge told him too turn around. He tried to ignore it, he was only seconds away now from salvation, but his body began to move of it's own accord, turning him to face the specter.

Watanuki's eyes fell upon what had been following him, and a icy flood of fear filled his stomach like liquid lead. The spirit was floating above the ground on a swirling nimbus of purple energy, a deeply negative feel emanating from it. The specter was composed of an enlarged human ribcage, with a sinuous spinal cord trailing below it like a rudimentary tail. It had no face; the spine held aloft nothing but air. Long, impossibly long arms trailed along the sides of the spirit, each ending with a long-fingered skeletal hand. Nestled inside the ribcage, pulsing slowly, were six human hearts.

An involuntary moan of terror slipped past Watanuki's lips. He felt pinned to the spot, like a hare who sees the eyes of the falcon seconds before it is devoured. The spirit raised an arm, extending its long fingers towards Watanuki, the sunlight glinting upon their razor-sharp tips. The six hearts inside of their cage began to pulse quickly, as if anticipating a new friend to join them. The long fingers trailed down Watanuki's front to his right chest, almost lazily. Watanuki tried to flee, he was literally seconds away from the gate, but he could move only to turn his head slightly and grit his teeth.

A thin, pale arm looped itself around his waist just as the spirit's razorfingers pressed against his chest. Watanuki felt himself being pulled inside of the gate just as the material of his shirt was sliced. He felt a sharp pain, but the spirit dissipated before his eyes.

Watanuki looked up to see Yuko-san staring over him, out into the street, a grave look upon her usually jovial face. "Yuko-san, you-" Watanuki felt all his breath drain away, and he slumped to the cobblestoned path.

"Where is Domeki-kun?"

Watanuki looked upwards at Yuko-san's serious face and felt something inside of him crumble. "At archery practice- why does..." Watanuki lowered his face to his knees. "Why me? I-I've never been so af-fraid-" His words cut off into a sharp sob. Watanuki clenched his fists, frustrated and embarrassed. His blood, his goddamn blood...

He felt Yuko-san kneel beside him and place her hand on the back of his neck, "Watanuki-kun, when you are ready, please come inside. I have something to show you." She stood, the silk of her kimono brushing against the side of his face, and began to stride towards the house. He heard her sandals clicking against the stones of the path, echoing in the near empty yard. She paused, and Watanuki heard her say something he thought he never would.

"It's time to grant your wish."


	2. The Circumstances

Yuko was on her third cup of sake when she heard Watanuki enter the shop. She set down her cup on the floor, next to Mokona. Mokona looked quizzically up at her. "Are you sure?" the small black creature asked her. Yuko smiled faintly and said "It's necessary, now." The paper door slid open, and Watanuki stepped into the parlor, silent.

Mokona took in his quiet demeanor- so different from his usual irritated but cheerful attitude. When he looked up at Yuko, Mokona saw that his eyes were rimmed with red. "I see." Mokona settled back onto it's small haunches, a slight frown on it's face.

The smell of sake permeated the air as Yuko poured a fresh cup, which she held out to Watanuki. "Here, drink this. You are much too pale." Watanuki's skin was usually a light creamy color; now he looked sallow, like fading parchment. He took the cup in his hands and drank, his brow furrowed. He did not enjoy the taste of alcohol.

A long sigh escaped him as he finished the cup- suddenly, he looked near tears again. He pulled his legs in toward himself, abandoning the formal posture for sitting down. His breath came loudly, hitching. He looked up quickly at Yuko-san, his eyes intense with anger and pain. "What did I do? Just what the hell did I ever do?" He slammed his palm against the floor, loud enough to startle Mokona from it's unbroken concentration upon Watanuki's face.

"As I've told you before... you did nothing to have this burden placed upon you. It was only hitsuzen." A shadow passed over Watanuki's features, a look of incredulity. Yuko-san waved her hand in a gesture partially placating, partially impatient. "Watanuki-kun, I could not possibly explain why it was you. You couldn't fathom it." Yuko-san picked up her cup. "However," she said softly, "I will tell you about the spirit that you encountered this evening." She took a long sip, and began.

"It was a spirit that is specially attracted to your blood. All spirits are attracted to you, yes, but this particular one was born and lives to find your kind." Watanuki shivered a little, remembering the razor-sharp fingertips reaching for him, so out of place in the hot sunlight. Then a wash of dread swept through him. "Then... those hearts? Inside the-"

"Yes, Watanuki-kun. Those were the hearts of people who are- were- just like you."

An involuntary gag brought a bitter taste to his mouth as he placed his hands over the left of his chest. He felt a sharp pain where the spirit had scraped his flesh. He had examined the wound outside, while he was gathering himself together, and the cleanness and precision of the cut reminded him of a scalpel incision, cold and emotionless. But that wasn't quite right, was it? The spirit had wanted him very badly, it was almost pulsing with longing, and, oh God, it had almost had him-

"The fact that the spirit was still fully powerful in the direct sunlight, outside my shop especially, makes me fearful for you, Watanuki-kun. It seems that this spirit will let nothing hinder it in it's attempt to kill you."

Watanuki looked up sharply from his hands at Yuko-san's blank face. The bluntness of her statement had hit him fully, and he felt as if he was rising out of a cold fog. He shook his head, clearing it of his shock. "Then what am I supposed to do? Just wait for it to kill me?" A bit of color had seeped back into his face, and a flush of anger transformed his features into something more familiar. Mokona sighed internally, happy to see the Watanuki it knew.

Yuko smiled at him, also happy to see him nearing his normal emotional state. She gestured to her right, and for the first time Watanuki noticed a small table, almost hidden in the folds of her kimono. Along the length of the of the table, nine small bottles glinted. Watanuki leaned in closer, trying to see the purpose of the bottles, when he noticed that they were filled with a liquid, a crimson liquid that looked much like-

"Blood." Watanuki looked up into Yuko-san's face, surprised at her voice. He looked back at the bottles, and noticed that they were all sealed entirely in glass, and there was no opening visible to his eyes. How did it get in there, he wondered. "Whose blood?" He looked up at her curiously.

"Yours."

Watanuki launched himself backwards, nearly knocking over the table, and landed on his back with a thud. "WHAT?" He looked up at Yuko-san, only to find her grinning widely and laughing. He glared at her sharply. "Don't give me that! I don't need your laughter. Are you serious?" He practically barked this at her, and his face had returned to its usual irritated expression. Yuko-san smiled, and glanced at Mokona, who was looking at Watanuki happily.

Still smiling, Yuko-san replied "Yes, Watanuki-kun, it is yours." She made a "moving on" gesture with her hands. "Setting that aside..." Watanuki opened his mouth angrily, wanting to now just when and HOW she had obtained his blood, Yuko silenced him with her next words.

"This blood is the key to granting your wish- a task that you will have to tackle yourself. Well... almost by yourself."

Watanuki's mind raced with many different questions. First of all, HE has to cure himself? Wasn't that Yuko-san's job? What did she mean almost by himself? And he still wanted to know where she had gotten his blood. He let out a groan of confusion. "What are you talking about? Isn't that your job?"

Yuko-san picked up one of the bottles and shook it, the blood inside shimmering in the faint sunlight. "Do you realize the significance of the nine bottles?" Realizing that Yuko-san was not going to answer his questions, Watanuki grudgingly sat back. "...No."

"The human gestation period is roughly nine months. Your blood became spiritually attractive while you were forming- inside your mother's womb." Yuko-san looked sideways at Watanuki to see if the mention of his mother caused a reaction. A slight shadow passed through his eyes, but nothing further. Yuko-san returned to gazing into the depths of the bottle. "So. These bottles represent the nine months in which you acquired your blood. In order to break your... curse, you will have to shatter them. By shattering them, the blood, which contains the curse, will dissipate. But they cannot be broken by force."

"Then how am I supposed to break them? That doesn't make any sense."

"Watanuki-kun, do remember when I sent you through the daffodil urn so you could return the pipe-fox spirit back to normal? The reason that it turned back was because of all the pure chi there. Now, if you had been a spirit, that chi would have been enough to shatter 6 of the bottles. If you count the crystals I added, and the full moon, all nine. But you are a human, and your blood is human. Your curse was born inside of a human womb. In a way, your curse is a spiritual thing roiling in humanity. And so... your cure is very much human in and of itself."

Watanuki crossed his arms impatiently. _If only she would get to the point_, he thought to himself.

Yuko-san sensed his impatience, and smiled a little. "You can only break one bottle every 28 days. Do you know why?"

"Of course not! Why would I know anything about this?!"

A mischievous smile played across Yuko's face. "Well, I thought it might be obvious... your curse was born in a womb... and 28 days is the average time between a female's menstruation cycle." The smile grew larger as Watanuki's face grew bright red, and his mouth dropped open. "W-why would I know something like that?!" he screeched.

"Ah, poor innocent, young Watanuki-kun. But more importantly, it is also the period of time the moon needs to fully rotate in its cycle. In simpler terms, you can only break a bottle once every full moon."

"But that still doesn't explain how to break the bottles!" Watanuki muttered impatiently, his face still a little red.

"And here is the principle of the cure; Watanuki do you remember how I said you could not cure yourself completely?"

"...Yes..." Watanuki had a bad feeling in his gut, remembering all the other times that Yuko-san had told him he needed someone to help him, and just who that person always was...

"And you also remember how I told you that the process of the curse was very human itself?"

"Yeessss..." The feeling sharpened.

"And that it would take large amounts of pure chi in order to shatter the bottles and dissipate the blood?"

"YES! Please, just GET to the POINT!" Watanuki shouted, falling over in exasperation, rolling on the floor with the weight of dread in his stomach.

Yuko-san laughed happily, delighted at this prime chance to simultaneously embarass, shock, and irritate Watanuki-kun. But the laughter died away quickly, and her face composed into something more serious, grave.

"Watanuki-kun, I want you to realize something. I would not have told I was going to grant your wish if there were not such forces opposed against you. I want you to keep in mind the spirit that attacked you today. Realize that until your curse is cured, you will have to deal with it. It is a very determined and very lethal spirit, which is why there is only one person who can help you. And that person is Domeki-kun."

I'm sorry! I take a long time to write. And I'm also sorry about the awkward endings on each chapter. I promise that not every chapter will end with a cliffhanger.

I'm usually busy, so I'll try to update as often as I can. Please don't lose your patience.

Thanks for reading.


	3. Hey, y'all

Dear Readers-

I'm very sorry about not updating in a while! I've been very busy lately, and also have not been very sure how to proceed. But I'm not giving up, I have a few ideas planned. :

Thanks to everyone who's watching this story, and for all who reviewed.

And "a is for action"... you are correct! ;P

As soon as I write it up, I'll delete this file and upload the actual chapter. And it'll be soon, so keep your eyes peeled! (...Does anyone else think that that is the worst saying ever? I mean... ew. XD)

Thanks all!

-Faust22


	4. The Full Moon

As he lay on his mattress in the sweltering heat, Watanuki Kimihiro contemplated the events of the past two days, two days that had radically changed his life. First, he though, I am almost murdered by a spirit that has set itself upon ripping my heart from my chest. Then, Yuko-san tells me she is going to grant my wish, but then goes on to tell me that I have to do it myself, and that I need that Domeki and… oh, God, and…

Watanuki folded one hand over his mouth, and tried to remember exactly what Yuko-san had said…

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"Watanuki-kun, I have always been amazed at the human capacity for love."

Watanuki looked up at her from the glittering bottles, his already confused expression deepening into bewilderment.

"In human culture, love is everywhere… especially romantic love."

He brought his hands to his face, groaning. "Yuko-san, what does this have to do with anything?"

She continued, gazing into one of bottles held in her slender fingers.

"Can you tell me what the widest known symbol of 'loving' one another is?"

"…" He peered out at her through his fingers, silently watching her with immense confusion.

"It has been immortalized in tales, images, media all the world over and yet you cannot tell me?" She finally looked up at him, a sly smile on her lips. "It is a kiss, Watanuki-kun."

A low, slimy feeling began to sink in Watanuki's gut even as a flush rose to his cheeks.

"Y-you…" he croaked, "Want me to kiss… kiss…"

"Yes, I do. In order to break this curse, you must symbolize the union that created your blood, hence, you, with a human of the purest chi upon every full moon. In other words-" Here, her small, sly smile expanded into a mischievous grin, eyes sparkling with glee.

"You must kiss Domeki-kun."

Watanuki still remembered the exact feeling that had filled him at that moment. He did not think he could describe it. The rest of the night passed in a blur, but as he was leaving Yuko-san's shop, she took him by the shoulder. "Watanuki-kun, I want you to realize something. This is necessary. You must go through with this. Your survival is not important to only you." Watanuki nodded, blankly. "You'll tell Domeki-kun about this tomorrow?" He nodded again. "All right, then, Goodnight, Watanuki-kun." She gave him a slip of paper, a ward to keep him safe until he reached his apartment. As he walked down the path to the street, Mokona called out to Yuko-san, who stood watching on the porch. "Yuko, why didn't you tell him about-"

"Mokona, darling, you see how he reacted to simply this? I feared that Watanuki would just fade out of existence if I told him the whole story." She turned, hands on her hips and a sly smile on her lips. "Besides, this is much, much more fun."

Watanuki was true to his promise, the next day.

Surprisingly, Domeki did not react to Watanuki's words any more than usual. He simply widened his eyes a bit, and stared at Watanuki for a long while. Just when Watanuki was about to scream from the pressure, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, Domeki calmly replied "Okay."

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Sitting up on his mattress, the heat making unbearable to sleep, Watanuki gritted his teeth at the memory. Why was Domeki so… unflappable?

His eyes were drawn to a shaft of pale light spilling onto his lap. He followed it to the window, gazing out into the night. Despite the heat, the world outside looked cold and hard, like steel. The full moon was huge, and hung low in the sky, partially obscured by the rooftops.

The full moon. I had taken on so much more significance in these past days. Watanuki sighed in the stillness of his apartment, and wondered who else was looking at the moon. Probably Yuko-san, with some kind of alcohol, no doubt. Maybe…. Domeki-kun?

No, that was silly. What does he care for the moon when he is so unaffected by anything on this earthly plane?

A sharp sound filled the stale air, sending a bolt of panic through Watanuki's spine. A few moments passed before he registered that it was the phone, ringing. He reached for it, still shaken by the sudden interruption of his thoughts. "Hello?"

"Watanuki-kun?! What the hell are you doing?" The blaring voice of Yuko-san emanated form the receiver, loud enough that Watanuki could still hear her clearly when he held it at arms length.

"Sleeping, Yuko-san. It is…" He peered at his digital clock, the number fuzzy without his glasses. "It is 11:30, you know."

"Exactly! Watanuki, tonight is the full moon! You have barely thirty minutes to kiss Domeki-kun!" A strange sensation began to creep along Watanuki's sides.

"What? But I…" Watanuki trailed off, thinking of what had happened earlier that day.

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Domeki had walked him home, as Yuko-san insisted. Watanuki had been uncharacteristically silent the whole walk. When they reached the apartment building, Watanuki peered over his shoulder at the stoic face of Domeki-kun. 'You can see my apartment from here. You don't need to follow me."

Domeki-kun arched an eyebrow. He paused a moment, before answering "Tonight is full moon. I don't intend to come back here."

"…Ah." Watanuki turned before Domeki could see his face twist. _Stupid! You thought of nothing else all day, and now you forget?_

It was true. Watanuki had pondered their… whatever this was all day. He agonized over it endlessly, knowing full well that it was no use, but… dammit! He didn't wan this first kiss to be taken by that… that… idiot!

Yes, this was his first kiss. For a long time, Watanuki had dreamed that Himawari-chan would be his first. He imagined her delicate shoulder beneath his hands as he leaned slowly forward, closing his eyes as he neared her soft, beautiful lips…

Reaching his door, Watanuki turned to face his follower. Domeki, he was anything but delicate. Watanuki gazed at his broad shoulders, strong jaw, large hands… They really were polar opposites.

"What are you staring at?"

"Nothing. Let's just… do this."

Watanuki clenched his hands. This just isn't fair, he thought. All sadness he had felt before turned to anger, filling him. If it wasn't for that damn spirit. His blood.

"Close your eyes," he barked.

A look of half questioning, half amusement flickered over Domeki's features. He seemed to be evaluating whether Watanuki was at the end of his rope, or if he could push this even farther. He chose the former, responding with a slow "All right." He closed his eyes, the already heavy lids lowering over his golden irises, one of which as mirrored in the angry gaze of the pale boy glaring at his calm face.

Once they were closed, Watanuki narrowed his own. How should he… oh hell. Just do it, Watanuki, he shouted internally. He gritted his teeth, clenched his already tight fingers even tighter, and-

Domeki felt a dry caress on his face, much like a leaf falling. He paused, waiting for something else, the feeling of thin lips against his own, but instead was given a jolt by the sound of a slamming door. A triumphant cry, dulled by the door but still piercing, reached his ears. Watanuki was shouting. "Yes! I did it! Haha!"

Domeki stood at the door, for once speechless not by choice. Was that… did that even count as a kiss? That was as chaste as a grandmother's cheek-pinching! He reached out to knock on the door, but stilled his hand. Just imagining Watanuki's reaction to his claim gave him a headache. He sighed, imperceptibly in the soft breeze that had begun to stir the hot air, and turned to go.

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Inside the apartment, Watanuki was doing a small dance of victory. "Yes, that's it! Nothing more for a month! Haha, that wasn't so bad!"

Standing there, in the dark, Watanuki's stomach clenched in a way newly familiar to him. Dreading Yuko-san's answer, he asked, quietly and stained, as though he was being strangled, "Yuko-san, are all the bottles still intact?"

"Yeessss, of course they are? Why wouldn't they be?" A static filled moment, and then: "Oh, Watanuki-kun! Don't tell me you kissed him? Oh, gods, I can just see it now! As chaste as a.. a grandmother's… ch-che-" Her sentence dissolved as she was racked with laughter, practically crying with it.

"Yuko-san! This is not a laughing matter!" Watanuki yelled into the phone receiver, his face flushing. "Are you telling me that I have to go all the way over to Domeki-kun's temple and go through this again?!"

"No, no…" Through her laughter, Yuko-san managed to spit out these words: "I've already c-called Domeki-kun. He'll be… coming to y-you."

In the dim light of the apartment, Watanuki looked down at himself. He was wearing only a pair of his shorts. It was hot, dammit, but he couldn't let Domeki see him like this! Still holding the receiver, he sprinted towards the dresser, barely hearing Yuko-san's words through his own panic. A kiss in this condition? No way.

As he threw open a drawer only to find more shorts, a knock sounded at the door. Screaming with frustration, Watanuki glanced at the clock, shocked to see that it said 11:55. Twenty-five minutes had passed? "DAMMIT!"

Still clenching the receiver, he made his way to the door, dragging the phone behind him. He could still hear Yuko-san's voice coming from the tinny speaker. Watanuki threw open the door, breathing heavily. He began to speak, angrily lashing out at the tall, broad boy who stood there in the moonlight, looking irritated.. "Well it's abou-"

His words were cut off, suddenly, by a soft something that covered his lips. He felt fingers clasp his cheek, and others still the place where his neck met his shoulder. Hot fingers. He felt soft cloth rub against his bare chest as Domeki stooped down to meet him. He saw with wide eyes golden irises practically glowing in the strong moonlight. But these barely registered in his mind, for what he felt the most was the heady caress of lips against his own, the slick glide of a tongue against his teeth, pushing its way into his own mouth. A shooting heat filled his body, emanating from his core, as Domeki, thoroughly, gently, and fiercely kissed him.

Domeki pulled away quickly. He stood to his full height and looked down at Watanuki, who was suddenly all too aware of the hot summer breeze on his sensitized skin. Watanuki turned up his face, and looked into Domeki's, his mouth still slightly open.

Domeki paused, and turned away, muttering "Fool." He walked quickly down the stairs and out of sight.

Watanuki stood there, shell-shocked, aware of only the heat washing through his body. The receiver, still dangling from one limp hand, was alive with the shouts of Yuko-san, something about a shattering bottle. It fell from his hands, clattering to the floor, as Watanuki brought both hands up to his lips, running his fingertips over the skin there. He shivered, despite the sweltering heat.

* * *

Please forgive me!

I am absent for so long and then I give you _this_ in return for your kindness? D:

I have been extremely busy, and have written this chapter in short bursts, which might explain the horrible quality. I'm sorry!

Hopefully you all aren't too frustrated with me, for I do have a plan for this story now. And was the kiss horrible? I have no idea, this was my first time writing a kiss. Or a story, for that matter.

I appreciate all the reviews and advice you all have given me, thank you so much! 3 I hope to update much more frequently now. Thank you for reading!

-Faust


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